TNM staging system
The TNM staging is a standardized staging system that is used for diagnostic tests and scans:
T stands for tumor and indicates how deeply the tumor has spread into the stomach wall.
N stands for the spread of the tumor into the lymph nodes.
M stands for metastasis of the tumour into other parts of the body.
After the diagnostic tests are carried out, the stage of stomach cancer is determined.
The following are the number stages of stomach cancer.
Stage 0 (aka Carcinoma in situ): In this stage, cancer is found only in the inside lining of the mucosal or the innermost layer of the stomach wall.
Stage 1: This is divided into two categories stage IA and stage IB depending on the spread of cancer. In the former, cancer has spread completely through the mucosal, or innermost layer of the stomach wall. In stage IB cancer, the tumor has spread through the mucosal layer of the stomach wall and it may be found up to 6 lymph nodes near the tumor or the muscularis or middle layer of the stomach wall.
Stage II: This is the stage when stomach cancer has spread in the following manner:
a. Spread completely through the mucosal layer of the stomach wall and is found in 7 to 15 lymph nodes near the tumor
b. Spread to the muscularis or middle layer of the stomach was and is found in up to 6 lymph nodes near the tumour
c. Spread to the serosal or the outermost layer of the stomach wall but not to the lymph nodes or other organs
Stage III: this is further divided into stages IIIA and IIIB.
Stage IIIA looks like the cancer has spread to:
a. The muscularis or the middle layer of the stomach wall and it is found in 7 to 15 lymph nodes near the tumor
b. The serosal or the outermost layer of the stomach wall and it is found in 1 to 6 lymph nodes near the tumor
c. The organs near the stomach but not the lymph nodes or other parts of the body.
Stage IIIB cancer has spread to the serosal layer of the stomach wall and is found in 7 to 15 lymph near the tumour.
Stage IV: In this stage, the cancer has spread to organs next to the stomach nd to at least one lymph node, or more than 15 lymph nodes or other distant body parts.
Read more on the screening systems for stomach cancer.
